Title
Reading and responding to a play as a director

Workshop description
This workshop will give you the confidence to be able to approach a play text with the mind of a director. Reading a play is different when you have your director’s hat on and we will explore the ways in which you can approach reading and responding in order to fully understand the text and then create your own vision for a production.

Why is this focal area important within the context of the course?
This workshop relates to the ‘Working with play texts’ area of the DP Theatre course. It will provide a way of thinking about plays which lifts them from being page bound to living breathing worlds. This is essential, as one of the perspectives you must take as a Theatre-maker throughout the course, is that of director.

Learning outcomes for participants
You will leave the workshop with:
A framework for thinking about plays that you can take away and apply to any play text.
An understanding of how to play with the possibilities of a text.
An ability to be able to form a coherent directorial intention.

Why/how is this session of value to DP Theatre students?
The workshop builds skills which are particularly relevant for success in Criteria A and B of the Director’s Notebook. Students often struggle with the creation of meaningful intentions which then influence all decision making. Students will leave confident they can do this after our exploration. The ability to read and respond to texts might also be of benefit for the Solo Theatre Piece, depending on the material the student chooses for this task.

Target audience
All students of IB DP Theatre

About your workshop leader
Simon Bell
I was born in the United Kingdom, trained as an actor in Bristol and worked professionally as an actor/director before becoming a theatre teacher in the UK and US. I am now a freelance theatre artist who travels the world looking for exciting creative opportunities and the best beaches.
My main interests as a theatre artist are in devised collaborative theatre and physical acting. My training is focussed in Lecoq’s pedagogy and in my own devised work, and I am passionate about exploring social and political ideas through physicality. I have experience working with Complicité, Frantic Assembly and Gecko, and these companies inform much of my practice.
I have extensive experience with the IB DP Theatre and MYP courses and have led Category 1, 2 and 3 teacher training workshops for ISTA. I also work as a creative director, SEL at TaPS/festivals and master class leader and am thrilled to be part of such an incredible community of theatre artists.

Event coordinator
Helen Abbott

The workshop will take place using the platform Zoom.

Places are limited to 20 participants per workshop.

You will receive a link to the Zoom call the day before the workshop.

The cost of the session is GBP £20 per person.

Students will be required to read a short play text which will be sent out prior to the workshop.

Space requirements
If possible, please try to have a small amount of space near to you for any practical work.